Hey everyone! It’s Nate again, and I hope you’re all thirsty. Here’s a little story…Once upon a time Nate and Missy’s families came for a visit and bought way too much spiced rum. Nate’s dad assured him everyone would drink it, but it was barely touched. Maybe it was because the much more versatile gin and vodka were available…maybe it was because good ol’ Captain Morgan looked a little too intimidating with his pirate sword and leg-up stance; we will never know for sure…okay, let’s skip to the end. I needed to come up with a show-stopper drink that would make everyone drain our surplus of spiced rum. It’s time to put on your eye patch and gather your crew for the Captain Smack! Let’s start with the vessel that will take us on this swashbuckling journey:

The copper mug! I’m sure most of you have noticed as I have that these things are catching on, and with good reason! A copper mug is not only visually stunning, but it also gives you the coldest, most refreshing drink experience you will ever have. If you want me to go all science on you I could tell you about how copper achieves this by being a fantastic conductor…but trust me, there’s not enough rum in the world to make my science rants interesting (just ask Missy, my family, friends, reluctant associates, etc.). These usually run about $10-15 for one which is a bit pricey but you will not be disappointed!

You will also need these ingredients:

1.5 oz Spiced Rum (duh.)

1 Lime

5 Leaves of Mint

1/2 tbsp Sugar

1 oz Cranberry Juice Cocktail

1 oz Orange Juice

Club Soda

Maraschino Cherries

Start by muddling the sugar, the juice of half the lime, and 3 mint leaves; it helps the process if you tear up the mint leaves before adding them. Complete this task using either a muddler and your mug, or if you’re nerdy (and by that I mean awesome) use a mortar and pestle…that way your friends will really think you know what you’re doing. With this mixture in the bottom of your mug, fill the mug with ice and let’s get the Captain in on this:

Add your 1.5 ounces of rum (don’t forget to say “Arrr!” while you do it). Now put in the fruit juices and stir everything to combine. Top this wonderful mixture off with club soda, a splash of maraschino cherry juice, and garnish it with the remaining mint leaves and a cherry. Feel free to add slices of the remaining half of the lime if you want more of that flavor. Now is the time to show off your creation:

BOOM! If you don’t think that looks refreshing then you’re probably a crazy person that doesn’t get invited to events where these are being served anyways (harsh, but true). The Captain Smack tastes light and refreshing unlike the heavier, over sweetened rum punch. It’s also suuuper cold when prepared in these wonderful copper mugs making it a perfect choice for these last days of hot weather. As always, don’t be afraid to play with this recipe. You could have a lot of fun combining different fruit juices and by doing so make a custom drink for each of your guests depending on their fruit preference using the same base. So next time you run into a surplus of spiced rum, invite everyone over for a Captain Smack. Cheers!